The Path We Chose
by SkipChanDesu
Summary: A few years after Muse was disbanded, a company asked to sign a contract. Now, all 9 members of Muse are living under the same roof. This story follows the the path the girls chose for themselves, with all the good and bad aspects. A-Rise have an active role in the story. Main pairing is NicoxMaki but I'm going to write about more pairings such as NozomixEli. Enjoy!
1. Moving Onwards

The weather was warm and clear.

Maki looked out her window and took a deep breath.

" _Yosh_! I can do this!" She gazed at the blue sky with a confident smile.

Downstairs, Maki's mother awaited her.

"Maki, are you really sure about this?"

"Yes, mama. This is the path I choose for myself."

"Won't you at least bid your father farewell?"

Maki's eyes saddened. But she wouldn't let something as that shake her resolve.

"He's the one who doesn't want to see me off..."

Nishikino Maki gently embraced her mother before she picked up her luggage.

"Call me if something happens, if you need anything at all, okay?" Her mother offered.

" _Hai_ , mama. _Arigatou_. But I'm going to be fine. Starting today, I'm going to live together with my precious friends, after all." The girl smiled and turned around.

In just a few moments, her figure disappeared and the Nishikino's household became quiet.

* * *

"Ah, Honoka! Where do you think you're going?! We still have a lot to do!" Umi shouted.

"But I'm hungryyyy! And Maki-chan hasn't arrived yet!" Honoka contested.

"No excuses! Come back here!"

"I'm getting a bit hungry too, nyaa.~" Rin revealed.

"Shall we have a small break then?" Eli suggested.

"Ah, Eli-chan! Those words are music to my ears!" Honoka hugged her friend, grinning from ear to ear.

All the other members sided with Eli, so Umi could not oppose.

And so, Hanayo opened her biggest bag.

"I was wondering what you had there, Kayo-chin. It's such a huge bag!"

"Mufufu, I thought this would happen so I prepared these." As she exposed the contents of her sack, big _onigiri_ could be seen.

"Whoa! They look delicious!" Honoka was already drooling.

Hanayo started handing the food out to everyone except Nico who was distracted looking at her phone.

"Looking at your cell won't make Maki come faster, you know~?" Nozomi teased.

"Waaaa! Don't scare me like that Nozomi! And it's not like I'm thinking about Maki!"

Nozomi just hummed a little _'I see'_ , though she wasn't convinced.

Not long after the group started eating, Kotori spoke.

"Is that Maki-chan over there?" She pointed at the end of the road.

The Muse girls were dumbfounded.

"What is she doing coming here on foot, I wonder." Umi said.

"Yeah, I just assumed she'd come by car." Kotori added.

When Maki-chan got closer, Rin dashed to her, calling out her name. Then she helped the red-head with her things.

"Maki, did you walk all the way here?" Eli asked.

The girl simply nodded. She was exhausted.

"Mama doesn't have a driver's license and papa... Well, never mind."

"You could have said something. I would have gone to pick you up. Your house is on the opposite side of town." Eli voiced.

Then, Honoka approached her with a loving smile.

" _Okaeri_ , Maki-chan. Welcome to our home!"

Everyone hugged Maki except, once again, Nico.

"Ararara... Don't tell me those two fought again." Nozomi instantly thought.

* * *

It was already past 20h when they finished unpacking their luggage.

The house was pretty big. Probably as big as Maki's summer house near the sea. As expected of a multi-millionaire agency: _Sunshine Records Entertainment_ (S:RE).

After the older members of Muse graduated, the group was disbanded.

For the last 2 years, Eli, Nozomi and Nico, went to college and worked here and there to support their studies. The other six members finished their high school and decided on a college as well.

Surprisingly enough, their schools weren't that far from each other, so they could meet sometimes.

Then, a couple of months ago, S:RE contacted them, saying they wanted Muse to come back and sign a contract with them.

Needless to say, the girls were radiant with the news and agreed.

A-Rise was also signed to the company and lived in a house further down the street.

"We sure got lucky, nyaa.~ Getting into a company which takes care of our living and educational expenses." Rin stated.

"Right. But don't forget that it is just until we graduate from college. After that, we'll have to find a place to live ourselves, with our pay checks." Eli reminded them. "The situation repeats itself. Nozomi, Nico and me are third years next month and so forth."

"I have a question. The fridge is still empty. The company said there was a delay and they'll only deliver food tomorrow morning. I'm tired and want to rest as soon as I can. What do we do concerning dinner?" Maki expressed.

As if it was some kind of sign, the doorbell rang. Who could it be? They didn't know any of the neighbours yet.

Kotori went to the door and opened it.

"Welcome, Muse!"

"Ahhh! A-Rise!" Kotori was surprised.

"We heard you girls moved in today." Toudou Erena said.

"And we decided to pay your first visit." Yuki Anjuu continued.

"And bring you dinner." Kira Tsubasa smilled.

"Tsubasa! You girls are our saviours!" Honoka cried in happiness.

" _'Tsubasa'_? When did Honoka become so close to her?" Nozomi whispered.

Nico, who was standing beside her, answered in a low voice.

"They've been meeting once a week in that famous bakery. I know since I work in the convenience store across the street."

"Waaa! Does Umi or Kotori know?"

Nico ended the conversation with a dry _'Saa'_.

A-Rise joined them for the dinner.

* * *

When the 3 members of the other idol group left, it was already midnight.

Honoka insisted in them staying the night with them, since it was so late. But they politely refused.

" _Saa_ , _minna_. We should take Maki as an exemple and go to sleep now." Umi advised.

"Eeeeh?! But the night is still a child!" Honoka retorted.

"Yes! And Maki-chan went to sleep earlier because she was tired." Rin backed her up.

"Rin, when did you become a _Honoka defender_?" Umi sighed. "We have a reunion at 7 o'clock in the morning with the S:RE President. If you don't rest enough, most of you won't even be able to get out of bed."

"Umi, you _oni_!" Honoka yelled.

" _Maa_ , _maa_. Calm down, Honoka-chan. We'll have plenty of time to play. Let's do good for tomorrow, okay?" Kotori tried to convince her friend.

In the end, they agreed with Umi.

* * *

The rooms were all situated on the second floor of the manner.

Nico went up the stairs and walked through the long corridor. Then, she stopped in front of Maki's room, feeling uneasy.

"Nico-chan.~" It was Nozomi again.

"What? Are you following me, now?" Nico answered with a sour tone.

"No. My room is next to Maki's." She walked a few more steps. "She's resting now so there's no point in standing there. Just try talking to her tomorrow. Whatever happened, you two can make peace again."

Before entering her own room, Nozomi added, whispering in Nico's ear: "You love her after all.~"

Nico's eyes widened. She didn't say anything back, though. Instead, she continued onwards to her room.

* * *

 _Obs: Waaaaa! I did it. xD I didn't really want to start this fic yet, since I'm writing two other fics at the same time. But I had so many ideas that I couldn't help it. xD_

 _Sunshine Records Entertainment is, obviously, a fictional company I created just for this story._

 _9 girls living under the same roof, though. I wonder what kind of troubles and situations will happen because of that. Specially when there is another group of 3 not far from them._

 _If you're wondering the same, stick around for the next chapter!_

 _I hope you enjoyed! ^^_


	2. Hectic Morning

When Maki woke up, she glanced at her clock and saw it was still 5.00 in the morning.

Despite it being so early, she heard some noises coming from the first floor.

"A burglar?" She thought in fear. Before stepping out of her room, she grabbed one of her old piano trophies. She had always hated those things but maybe they'd come to be useful now.

She walked along the hallway and down the main staircase, sneakily, her trophy in her right hand.

The living room was clear, no one in sight. The girl continued onwards to the kitchen. It was then when she noticed the light was on.

"Someone really did break into our house?" Her thoughts continued running wild.

She stopped just a few steps behind the kitchen's door and took a deep breath. Afterwards, she barged in.

Just when Maki was going to strike the intruder in the head with her home-made weapon, Eli intervened.

"Maki, stop!"

The man turned around and fell on his knees in fear.

"Why Eli? This man is a thief!" Maki yelled.

"No, he isn't." Eli ran to the man's side. "He's from the company. He came to deliver our food."

"You mean...?" Maki's face became red. "Oh! _Gomen_!"

The misunderstanding was cleared.

"I must say, I never imagined you the type to just confront a thief." Eli chuckled.

"Ah, that... Just forget about that, Eli-chan." Maki was still flustered. "But how come it was you the one receiving the deliveries? Shouldn't it be Honoka?"

"Did you look at the time?"

Yes, it was a silly question. There was no way Honoka would wake up so early.

"You should go rest some more. We still have time until the meeting." Eli advised and Maki complied.

The red-haired girl slowly ascended the stairs, still embarrassed about the incident.

When she got to the top, someone bumped her and she got thrust against the wall. Her eyes closed with the impact.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw a girl tightly clinging to her body.

The girl raised her head, tears were falling down her small green face.

"Nico-chan?!" Maki almost shouted but was able to retain her voice.

"I was startled by some noises. Then I went to your room but you weren't there and I got scared. I thought you had been kidnapped." Nico was sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm okay, Nico. I thought something was off too. But turns out it was just the company's employees bringing us the food supply."

Nishikino Maki took Nico's hand and took her to the bathroom. There, she washed the girl's face with lukewarm water to take her green mask off.

"Nico, stop crying already... I'm here, aren't I?"

" _Hai_... But you're still mad at me for the other day, I bet." Nico pouted. "You didn't text or call me even once."

"That, huh. I was a little upset, but I just got busy dealing with my parents." Maki sighed. "Besides, you might have been right about that. I know that my parents love me and that running away to come here wasn't the right choice. So I gathered all the strength I could and properly talked with them about how much Muse is important to me."

Nico glanced at Maki.

"I was right...? Pfff, of course I was right! Ahaha! I only give good advices, after all." Nico was back to normal.

It was a rare sight, Nico with her hair straight. Maki never understood why she tied it up when she looked beautiful with it down.

Maki moved her right arm and placed her hand in Nico's head. Gently, her hand traveled throughout the extension of the girl's hair.

"Nico, can you... Close your eyes for a second?"

The small girl did as she was asked.

The piano prodigy slowly closed in on Nico. Their faces were so close, they could feel each other breathing. The air started to warm up.

Just as Maki's lips were an inch away from Nico's, the bathroom door abruptly opened.

Both girls jumped in surprise. Maki's face was burning.

Out of confusion, Nico recited her usual catchphrase.

"Ni-Nico Nico Nii~!"

At the door, a half-asleep Honoka stood.

"Maki-chan, Nico-chan~ Can you move a little bit so I can get to the fridge? I'm hungryyyy~"

And, if that wasn't already enough, Umi and Kotori showed up.

"Hey, Honoka! I told you that wasn't the way to the kitchen!" Umi grabbed Honoka by the ear.

"Umi-chan, you don't need to be so rough with her." Kotori tried to make things lighter.

"Ehhhh?! There are _onigiri_? Where are they? Gimme!" Honoka's delusions continued as she shouted from her lungs.

With this commotion welling up in the bathroom, the other remaining members of Muse walked in to see what was going on.

First, it was Hanayo and Rin.

"What is this? A bathroom party, nyaa~?"

"I don't think that's right, Rin..." Hanayo said with her so ever low voice.

Then, Nozomi strolled over with her camera in her hands, hoping to catch some embarrassing moments (which she did, mufufu).

"Ahhhhh! _Nani kore?! Imi wakannai!_ " Maki cried out.

Needless to say, the one who stopped that mess was Eli.

* * *

The girls were finally wide awake and fully aware of their responsibilities for the day.

It was time to meet the S:RE president.

* * *

 _Obs: Waaa, just what exactly was happening in that house? xD These girls are so troublesome, yet so funny._

 _So we got some insight as to what happened between Maki and Nico. Apparently, Maki wanted to run away from home without telling her parents about anything, but Nico told her not to. But you know how Maki is, right? She got mad at Nico for meddling in her affairs, only to give her reason afterwards._

 _Eli is the most reliable girl in the group, as expected of a third year. xD_

 _What other troubles will they make in the future?_

 _Hope you stick around to find out._

 _See ya in the next chapter! ^^_


	3. Sunshine Records Entertainment

It was a view like they had never seen. The building wasn't as big as some existing in Tokyo but the aura surrounding it made it special.

Muse walked past the main entrance and were warmly received by the receptionist, a girl with a tiny face, big eyes and a sweet smile. The girl was wearing a cute pink costume which was the uniform of female employees.

They were told to get to the elevators and ascend to the last floor so they could meet the president.

The lift stopped on a few other floors before they arrived at the 25th. In one of the floors, a group of 3 beautiful girls appeared. It was A-Rise.

"Ah, Honoka and everyone!" Kira Tsubasa greeted them. "Are you here to talk to Hiroyuki-san?"

"Tsubasaaa! Who is that Hiroyuki person you mentioned?" Honoka answered looking confused.

"Honoka, that's the president's name! How can you not know that?" Umi scolded their leader.

"Ahah, that is so you Honoka. You guys still don't know this building well, isn't that right?" Tsubasa said.

"Yes, what about it?" Nico intercepted the conversation, her tone of voice was quite hostile.

Maki slightly shook the girl. _What was she thinking, being so rude to their senpai?_

The A-Rise members decided to ignore Nico's disrespectfulness.

"How about we show you around when your meeting ends?"

"Ah, that would be helpful, _arigato gozaimasu_." Eli bowed.

A-Rise smiled at them before leaving the elevator on the 23rd floor.

A few seconds later, Muse reached the last floor.

There was a single huge door just outside the lift. Without further ado, the girls knocked on the door and walked inside.

" _Yokoso_ , Muse!" Hiroyuki-san welcomed them. "Please, have a seat."

The president of S:RE was just like any other executive person. He had black hair, short dark brown hair and wore a dark but elegant suit.

As soon as Muse sat down, a man dressed in a butler's clothes served them a cup of tea.

"This man here is Duda Mariusz. Just like Ayase-san, he is half Japanese and he will be your manager from now on."

" _Yoroshiku onegaiishimasu_." Duda-san bowed.

The girls greeted him back.

"I'm not going to hold you in here for long. We're just going to discuss about your first job." The president cleared his throat. "Classes are almost starting, as you are aware. Our company signed a contract with Love Live! and we'll be hosting a special live show a day before schools open. We wanted you to be the opening act for the show. What do you girls say?"

"Really? We accept!" Honoka didn't waste any time in responding.

The other members moved their heads in agreement.

"I didn't expect us to be able to perform for Love Live! again. _Waa_ , now I'm nervous..." Hanayo was in the verge of tears.

"Ahah, don't worry. You sang and danced for the shows a few times. It won't be any different. Well, it will kinda, since now you won't be up for voting. But you won't perform alone. A-Rise will be the closing act. So, if you feel nervous, you can always hang out with them." Duda tried calming them down.

The meeting continued for more 10 minutes and they were finally finished.

Just like they had promised, A-Rise was waiting for them in the lobby.

The first thing Tsubasa and company showed them was the cafeteria on the first floor, right beside the lobby. Between the 2nd and 5th floors were gym rooms to exercise. Until the 10th floor rested a few more gyms but solely for the purpose of dancing. From those up to the 15th were the studios for music making. The next 5 floors had big auditoriums and resting rooms with beds and saunas. The last floors were mainly used by the executive members of the company, so they were filled with conference rooms and such.

The tour was fairly long and thorough.

"How about we rest a bit in the cafeteria?" Anjuu suggested.

Nico utterly opposed and quickly walked out of the building.

"What is wrong with Nico-chi, today?" Nozomi glanced at Maki, thinking she'd have anything to do with her mood.

"Hey, it has nothing to do with me." Maki replied, a little bit annoyed by the accusation. " _Minna_ , go ahead of me to the cafe. I'll go check on Nico and we'll join you shortly." The red-head bowed to A-Rise apologizing for the previous girl's behavior.

Outside, Nico was sitting on some stairs, sulking like a child.

"Nico-chan, what was all that about?" Maki voiced as she also sat down on the stairs next to her friend.

"I don't like them."

"Who, A-Rise? But didn't you like them before? Why the change of heart now?"

"Look, I do admire them as Idols. Their work is like no other. But I don't like them as people, specially Tsubasa." Nico suddenly stood up. "I feel like she's faking whenever she smiles towards us. And the way she looks at Honoka is way to suspicious. Even Nozomi thinks the same. She just doesn't have the guts to say it to them."

"You mean she just doesn't want to be impolite like a certain girl we know." Maki chuckled.

"Hey, don't make fun if me!" Nico pouted.

"Well, I do get some weird vibes coming from those 3 girls."

"So you do agree with me! I'm right, right?"

"We can't be certain of that yet, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt." Maki gave the girl reason so they could meet the others in the cafe fast.

But Nico had other plans in mind.

She grabbed her friend by the hand and started running.

"I want to let out some steam. Come with me to one of the gyms."

"Eh? I don't know if we can just barge in without permission."

"I'll find a way or I'm not called Nico, the best Idol in the world!"

* * *

 _Obs: The girls finally met their superiors and got to know what their first gig will be. They got reunited with A-Rise and will be working together for the next weeks. Some girls don't seem to like them but Honoka is always around them. How will their partnership work?_

 _And what does Nico have in mind?_

 _See ya in the next chapter! ^^_


	4. Feelings Laid Bare

"Nico-chan, wait!" Maki shouted as Nico dragged her by her hand.

"Shhh! If you make too much noise, people are going to find us!"

"And what happened to getting permission?"

"Who mentioned that? This is more exciting!"

Both girls came to a stop near a corridor.

"Okay, the coast is clear, let's go!"

They ran to the closest door but had no luck. It was closed.

Nico tried the one next to it, though it also was locked.

"Nico-chan, let's just go back to the cafeteria!"

"Yada! Do you think a couple of closed doors are enough to shake my resolve?" Nico spoke with pride.

"What resolve...? Imi wakanai!"

Nico continued to try her luck until she finally found an unlocked room.

"Bingo!"

She walked in and pulled Maki with her.

The room was neither too big nor too small. It was abundantly bathed in light which came from four big windows. In a corner, a few chairs and a rectangular honey-colored table rested.

Yazawa Nico moved the table to the door in order to block whoever tried to get in after them. Next, she closed the curtains and in just a few seconds, darkness flooded the room.

"Shotto Nico, what are you doing all that for?"

Nico didn't answer her friend. Instead, she walked towards her with a serious expression painted on her face.

Maki felt a shiver down her spine and retreated in response.

"I need to release my stress and I know the best way to do it." Nico stared straight into Maki's eyes. "How about we continue what we were doing this morning before the others came to the bathroom?"

Nishikino's face quickly became flushed.

"We weren't doing anything, do-don't be ridiculous!"

Nico got closer and closer to the red-head. With each step she took, she unbuttoned one button of her white shirt. From underneath it, her pinkish bra promptly peeked.

Maki couldn't believe her own eyes. She had seen Nico in her underwear before, but the dim light hovering the room made it look rather naughty.

When Nico was only a few inches away from her partner, her shirt fell on the floor exposing her slender body. She untied her twin tails, her black hair gently fell on her shoulders.

"You said you liked me with my hair down... Do you like what you see...?"

Thanks to the dark atmosphere, Nico's red face wasn't well visible. It was rather embarrassing for her to show herself to Maki.

Maki had a body every girl envied. She was fit and had the right amount of curves in the right places. Nico felt somewhat ashamed to show her inferior body to her. Even so, she did it. She wanted Maki to see the real Yazawa Nico.

"Nico..." The musical prodigy placed her hand in Nico's face and slided it down her neck. "I do. You're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you..."

Maki sat down on one of the chairs lying around and brought the smaller girl next her, embracing her. Maki's head rested on the girl's bust.

"Waa, Maki...! Sorry that my breasts are so small..."

Maki chuckled.

"What are you saying, baka? They're perfect."

Both girls stayed in that position for a while, enveloped by each other's scents.

Then, Nico broke away from Maki's arms and glanced at her.

"Maki... I lo-"

Ring ring ring~

Nico was interrupted by a phone call. It was Maki's phone. She took it from the lonely pocket in her jacked and accepted the call.

"Makicchi? Where are you? It's been almost two hours since you said you'd go after Nico."

Two hours already? Time flew by so fast while she was in Nico's company.

"Ah, we huh... We left the area already. B-But I did find her."

"Eh? But you were supposed to bring her to the cafeteria. Oh well. Where are you now, then? We'll go pick you both up and go back home."

"J-just go you guys first. We'll go later."

"Hum... Makicchi? Are you alright? I perceive some nervousness in your voice."

"Eh?! No, I'm fine. I'm just a little out of breath. I had to run after Nico."

From next to Maki, Nico leaned over hear and pinched her cheeks.

"You had to run after me?" She whispered.

When Maki's cheeks got squeezed, she let out a small cry.

On the other side of the phone, even the other Muse members heard her scream.

"Maki?! What happened?!"

"N-nothing! I'll hang up now. Bye!"

Just like that, the call ended.

"What was that all about...?" Kotori voiced what everyone was thinking.

Back to the room where Nico and Maki were...

"Nico-chan...!" Maki was angry.

"Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you!" Nico laughed it off.

Maki got up from the chair and picked Nico's shirt. Then, threw it at her.

"Just get dressed and let's go."

Yazawa Nico did as she was told and both left the room.

On their way home, Maki's pace was quite fast. Nico followed a few steps behind, her head hanging low.

Neither said a word until they got home.

"Ah, Maki-chan, Nico-chan! Okaeri!" Rin received them at their porch.

Maki answered with a dry "Tadaima" and went straight to her room.

The tension between the two was evident.

"Ararara... Did they fight again?" Nozomi sighed.

"Seems like it. That's all they ever know how to do..." Eli agreed.

* * *

 _Obs: Waaa... These two are such a handful xD But damn it, Nozomi! It was your fault this time. They had such a good mood going~_

 _How are they gonna mend their relationship this time?_

 _Let's find out in the chapters to come!_

 _See ya next time~ ^^_


	5. Heating Up

A week passed since the girls went to S:RE.

Maki and Nico hadn't talked to each other since.

Every time Nico approached the girl, she'd just find a way to get away as fast as she could.

The other Muse members started to get worried. They fought a lot, that was true. But they never went more than three days without speaking. Maki was being really persistent this time around.

"Aaaah~ If they don't make up soon, I'll intervene!" Nozomi sighed while she jumped to Eli's bed.

"Nozomi, you know well enough we shouldn't meddle in other people's affairs." Eli advised. "And get up from the bed. I had already tidied it."

"But my cards told me that, if they keep this going, their relationship will suffer a great amount in the future." The fortune teller relayed, pulling Eli towards her by the hand. "If I don't do anything, I'm afraid they'll end up in the same situation as Honoka, Kotori and Umi-chan."

Eli kissed Nozomi's forehead and pulled her up from the bed.

"Let's give them some more time to see what happens. Now let's go, we have a practice session to attend."

When both girls went downstairs, all their friends were already waiting near the front door, except Maki.

Nozomi was just about to open her mouth and ask for her when Hanayo spoke:

"Maki left already."

Nozomi glanced at Nico; she looked super annoyed.

* * *

"Ahem." Duda-san cleared his throat. "You came early again today, Nishikino-san."

"I like to always get earlier than the scheduled time."

"While that's very professional, make sure you sleep enough. Your body needs to be relaxed and healthy at all times."

Maki thanked the advice.

"Will you be watching the entire practice, today?"

"Indeed. The show is approaching so I'll be supervising your last practice days to make sure everything is perfect."

Silence settled for a few minutes up until the young man spoke again.

"Nishikino-san, may I ask you a question?"

"Hum? Yes, go ahead."

"Ayase-san is half Russian, correct?"

The girl nodded and the man painted an intriguing expression on his face.

In order to keep the silence away, she asked him back:

"What about you, if I may ask?"

"Oh, me? I'm half Polish. I've never been to Poland, although I travel a lot. I was born here in Japan."

After a while, A-RISE showed up followed by the rest of the Muse members.

With everyone present, the practice session started.

Muse will perform "Start: Dash!" as the opening act, to give the new students the motivation they need for their journey. As for A-RISE, they'll close the ceremony with their hit "Shocking Party".

They danced and sang for the whole morning.

After, they hit the showers.

The only thing scheduled for the afternoon was the costumes fitting at five o'clock. So, until then, they could do whatever they felt like doing.

All the girls showered quickly in order to eat. They were famished!

But Maki took longer than usual. She just stood there, under the water, leaning against the wall.

Nico was ready to leave the division when she heard a loud " _THUMP!_ ".

The girl ran back to check what it was.

Maki was on the ground.

"Maki!" Nico shouted.

"I'm okay. I just slipped."

"Don't scare me like that, _baka_..."

The twin-tailed girl embraced her friend.

" _Shotto_ , Nico-chan! Let go, I'm all wet...!"

Nico couldn't care less. She was just glad her friend was okay.

"You're finally talking to me." Nico smiled.

" _Ba-baka_! Let me get dressed first."

Maki stood up, dried herself and put on her underwear. Before she could finish dressing, Nico grabbed her from behind.

Nico's soft lips touched Maki's sweet-scented skin.

"Humm-" Maki instantly reacted. "Nico, not here-"

"Why not? We're alone now." The small girl continued kissing her friend while her hands slipped inside Maki's pants.

"Yaaa, Nico-!"

Yazawa Nico's left hand swiftly moved on top of Maki's mouth, putting two fingers inside it.

"Not so loud, shhh."

The red haired girl moaned, although she struggled to get herself free.

"Didn't you want to- Humm- Talk...?"

"This is better than talking." Nico claimed.

After getting her partner wet enough, she turned her around, still pushing her against the wall. She proceeded to unfasten the girl's bra so she could fondle her perfect breasts.

Hearing her soft and steady moans turned her on even more.

Maki's legs gave away and she slowly fell on the nearby bench.

The popular idol took that chance to take off her panties.

From top to bottom, Nico's tongue danced along Maki's curves until it reached her most sensitive spot.

"Ah, Nico- Don't!"

Nico ignored her and continued to lick her juicy slit.

One finger thrust inside causing Maki's body to shiver like crazy. Another one went inside and another.

Nico's fingers were slender and skilled. She abused Maki's G-spot and soon the girl climaxed letting her voice out quite loudly. She was breathless.

"Hihi!" The twin-tailed girl grinned, utterly pleased with what she achieved. "Are we good now, Maki?"

Her partner looked over at her.

" _Baka_ \- You're not being fair..."

"You were the unfair one, avoiding me without a proper reason." Nico pouted.

" _Gomen_ , Nico-chan..." Maki leaned over Nico and hugged her.

* * *

"Ahem..." Duda cleaned his throat. "Ayase-san, could I have a minute with you, perhaps?"

Eli had just finished her meal with her friends. She agreed and both went outside the building.

"Mind if I light up a cigarette?"

"No, go ahead. My grandfather used to smoke so I'm used to it." The girl smiled.

"Your grandmother, as well as your mother were ballet dancers, weren't they?"

Eli was surprised with his question.

"They were."

" _Yappari_!" Duda looked delighted. "So you really are _her_."

"Her? I don't seem to follow...?"

"I remember watching a little girl dancing ballet when I was younger, with my mother. She was from a well-known dancer family. All I knew was her name was Eli." He paused for a few seconds. "When I saw you for the first time here in S:RE, I recognized you right away. But I had to be sure."

" _Harasho!_ " Eli became even more surprised.

"I loved your dancing. It was right about that time when I realized I wanted to work in this type of business."

The blond chuckled.

"I wasn't that good a dancer, though."

"It's true many people didn't appreciate how you danced. Perhaps you didn't have the same technique your mother or grandmother possessed and people just ended up comparing you. But your passion and emotions exuded through your movements."

Duda turned to Eli, looking intensely to her eyes.

"Ne, Ayase-san... What do you say... Would you have dinner with me, one of these days?"

The girl's eyes widened.

She hesitated for a while but ended up giving a positive reply.

Needless to say, the man was thrilled.

* * *

 **OBS: I'M TERRIBLY SORRY FOR THE HUGE DELAY! But here's a new chapter, finally!**

 **Nico and Maki went a little wild this time, mufufu :3 (It was a little bit strange writing their scene as I'm more used to writing yaoi. But it was fun and HAWT, hihi :p)**

 **And Duda is interested in Eli? Hmm, what will come out from this, I wonder~**

 **If you want to find out, stay tunned for the next update!**

 **Hope you enjoy~**


	6. Love Start!

" _Ichi. Ni. San. Yon. Go. Roku. Nana. Hachi. Kyuu_. Muse, Music Start!"

That's right. The time for the Live has come.

The venue was overflown with people. The air was heavy with excitement. Everyone was eager to listen to Muse for the first time in 2 years.

Their performance went as perfect as ever: their voices were on point, their movements were on sync and sharp and more importantly, they were able to convey their feelings to the crowd. They were so happy to sing and dance live for everyone again! At the end of the performance, some tears peeked from the corner of their eyes.

A-Rise didn't lose to them either. Their performance as the closing act was pretty fabulous too.

But before the Live begun...

* * *

"Wake up, Honokaaaa!"

A huge grin painted on her face, talking in her sleep and drooling. Honoka was completely immersed in the dream land.

Umi tried everything she could think of to wake her friend up, though nothing was bearing fruits.

Nozomi came to her aid. She brought with her a tray with freshly baked _melon pan_.

After a few seconds, Honoka's face twitched. Nozomi's plan was working. The delicious smell made its way into the dream land and fished Honoka back to reality.

"Waaaaaaaaaa! I'm so hungry!" Honoka shouted, still with sleepy eyes.

"Wh-what kind of monster are you? Waking up to food!" Umi's thoughts came out of her mouth. "Anyway, that's why I told you to go to bed early. We're late! YOU'RE late!"

After breaking completely out of her illusions, Honoka quickly hopped out of bed and even hugged Umi and Nozomi.

Umi instanly blushed and panicked.

" _Arara_ ~ I wonder what kind of dream she was having.~"

In the kitchen, the rest of the girls were already finishing their breakfast.

As soon as Honoka walked in, Eli placed a glass of warm milk in the table for their leader.

"You can't eat _melon pan_ without some tasty milk, right?" Maki stated while winking at the girl.

"Ohayo! Thank you _minna_!"

* * *

Rin rushed to the porche while pulling Hanayo and Nico. The others followed.

"Aren't we going to the venue with Tsubasa and the others?" Honoka wondered.

"They left when you were still sleeping..." Kotori answered.

Honoka didn't voice anything further, leaving a strange feeling in the air.

Rin noticed and quickly ran behind them so she could push them out of the house.

"Iku nyaa~!"

* * *

When Muse arrived, the staff members directed them to the backstage. They needed to get dressed and put some make up.

Each member had their own room for that, specially arranged at Umi's request.

Maki was almost done with her preparations when she heard a knock on the door.

Before she could give the permission for entry, Nico opened the door and closed it with what seemed super human speed.

" _Shotto_ , Nico-chan! What are you doing here? You're not even properly dressed! Go back to your room."

The girl grinned.

Then, she approached Maki and pushed her against the wall.

Maki always wondered how someone so petite could have so much strength.

"I wanted to see you with the outfit before anyone else."

The clothes were pretty. A tight white shirt with a red rose in the lapel, black short shorts with shoulder straps, stripped black and white gloves and high-knee socks, earings shaped like roses and some elegant shoes. A perfect fit for Maki's body.

" _Ba-baka_! Did you need to run in here looking like that, though? What if anyone saw you?"

Nico was only wearing a long pink shirt, hair down, barefoot and not even wearing her bra.

"Pufufufu, I wouldn't let that happen. I can only show my body to you, after all.~"

Maki's face became as red as her hair. She was actually quite happy to hear those words.

For her own astonishment, she put her hands on Nico's shoulders and pushed her against the wall, inverting their positions.

Nico's eyes widened in awe.

"Wha-what? Don't look at me like that, it's embarrassing!" She averted her eyes for a few seconds but quickly gazed back at her partner. "I can't control myself when you look this sexy..."

Maki's lips went straight for Nico's.

Something like this was so rare that Nico embraced her lover harder than ever.

The kiss was so passionate that it left both of them panting like crazy.

The air felt hotter and hotter.

Maki's clothes fell on the floor as well as Nico's.

The petite girl let out a moan when Maki's tongue danced around her nipples. Then, she felt something cold inside her panties. Maki was really going all out.

"Does it feel good?" The red-head whispered on Nico's ear.

Cold hands brought a nice twist to the scene. Nico was in trance from the pleasure and it didn't take long for her to climax.

When she did, she fell on her partner's arms.

Maki gently embraced her and slowly caressed her long black hair.

"Nico-chan... I lo- I love you."

Nico smiled like she never had smiled before.

"Come on, get up now. I'll help you dress and apply your makeup."

The twin-tailed girl nodded happily.

* * *

While someone was being quite naughty on the room to the left, Eli, who was also finishing her preparations, got a knock on the door too.

"Who is it?"

A manly voice penetrated the door. It was Duda.

Eli let him in.

"Sorry for disturbing you at such a time."

Eli signaled with her hands that it was okay.

"I was wondering when would be a good time to ask you for that dinner we talked about the other day... Would it be okay if it was today, perhaps?"

"I don't really mind. It sounds good." Eli was a little bashful.

"Good! We'll have a small party after the live. Can I pick you up when it ends?"

The girl nodded with a smile.

Soon after, Duda left the room.

As he was doing so, Nozomi saw him and became puzzled.

She decided to ask Eli what he was doing in her room.

"Ah, Nozomi. _Whaa_ , you look so pretty!" She praised the girl before answering. "Duda? Ah, it wasn't anything special. Shall we go meet the others now?"

Nozomi felt like she was hiding something from her.

Little did she know the prediction she had seen in her cards was not direct at Maki and Nico but at herself and her relationship with Eli.

* * *

 _Obs: Hummmm, seme Maki is soooooo goooooood! :3 It's really once in a fullmoon that she acts exactly how she feels *hihih* It was a nice change of pace and Nico looked so happy! I really love these two._

 _As for Eli, things are taking an unexpected turn! Is she actually interested in Duda?! What about Nozomi?!_

 _We'll see what happens in the next chapter! (I'll probably focus on Duda x Eli x Nozo more than any other pairing, next time.)_

 _I hope you enjoyed! ^^_


	7. The Beginning of a Storm

_"Kanpai!"_

The Live was safely concluded and everyone was ready to celebrate in the after party. The room was fairly big to accommodate all the staff as well as all the girls. There were lights and balloons here and there, lots of juice and sake, cookies and cakes as well as other snacks. Music flowing through the air, people laughing and dancing.

 _Ding Ding_

The S:RE President Hiroyuki-san asked for everyone's attention by lightly hitting a glass with a spoon.

" _Etto_ , may I have your attention?" He started. "Today's event was successfully accomplished. I feel the students and all our viewers got powered up for the year to come. It wouldn't had been possible without the help of all our amazing staff and their hard work. The girls were also outstanding. I hope we continue to fire up people's hearts and dreams. Let's continue working hard, my friends!"

" _Banzai_!"

" _Dareka... Tasuketeeee_..."

"Eh, what's wrong Kayo-chin?" Rin and the rest of the girls were wondering what was going on.

"I'm so happy I think I'm gonna cry." Hanayo let out. "It was the first time in years we performed together. I missed being on stage with all 9 of us."

"Hanayo-chan! From now on, we'll always be together and we'll dance and sing to our hearts content!" Honoka followed Hanayo's words. "Lets' work extra hard, _minna_!"

"Hm! I promise I'll continue drawing cute costumes for us!"

"And I'll do my best to write the best lyrics!"

" _Harasho_! I'll do everything I can to make the most wonderful choreographs ever!"

"Rin will help with the dance practices!"

"And I'll do everything I can to support all 9 of us!"

"Nico will make sure you learn the best idol poses, Nico Nico Nii~!"

Everyone stares at Maki waiting for her encouraging words.

"Eh? I have to say something too?" All 8 nodded. " _Hazukashi_... But alright... I'll work hard to write unique melodies!"

The Muse girls were looking forward to working together again.

* * *

Some time had passed.

Duda approached Eli.

"Ayase-san, shall we?"

Eli agreed and made her way to pick up her coat.

Maki noticed and asked her where she was going.

"Ah, I'm gonna go grab a bite with Duda-san."

"With Duda...?" Maki glanced over at him. " _Soka_. Just make sure you don't stay up 'till late."

Eli smiled and, in a few minutes, her figure disappeared in the middle of the crowd.

"Maki, what's with that face? Does your belly hurt?"

"Eh? _Ba-baka_! Of course that's not it."

Nico looked puzzled.

"Ne, Nico-chan... What do you think of Duda-san?"

"Our manager? Hum, let me see... He seems like a reliable person. Why?... Huh?! Don't tell me you're interested in him?! _Yada, yada_! Maki-chan is mine!"

"Shhh! Keep quiet, _baka_!" Maki grabbed Nico and whispered what she had seen.

"Really?! Does Nozomi know?"

"I don't think she does..."

* * *

Duda opened the restaurant's door for Eli, just like a gentleman.

They sat at one of the best tables, near the window with a beautiful view of the city lights.

"Order whatever you want, don't hold back Ayase-san."

"Ah, thank you. And, please, you can call me Eli."

" _Waaa_ , this feels like a dream! I'm truly happy you accepted my invitation. I had wanted to meet you for a long time. Ever since I saw you dancing as a child."

"Don't say those things, I'll become red!" Eli was embarrassed.

"You see... It's thanks to you I was able to become an employee of one of the most important entertainment companies in Japan."

" _Harasho_! How so?"

"When I was a boy, I had no particular interests. All I ever knew what to do was study and study. Then, one day, my mother took me to what I thought would be a boring ballet event. And I really hated it, at first. I just wanted to go home and shut myself in my room. But I quickly changed my mind when you came up on stage. You danced so brilliantly and your feelings reached me. After that night I vowed I'd, one day, help people with talent deliver their own feelings to the crowd with their performances. And now, here I am."

A waiter approached them and wrote down their orders.

"Ah, I said it. It's a silly reason, but... Eheh..." Duda was pretty flustered.

"It's not. It makes me happy. I always thought I wasn't a good enough dancer, but knowing I was able to at least inspire one person, makes me really happy."

"You were amazing. And now that you are with Muse, you shine even more brightly!"

"At first I didn't like the idea of becoming a school idol, ahah. But everyone was so good and worked hard for our school, I got a little envious. Then, Honoka and the others received me with open arms even after I opposed to them for so long. And when Nozomi told me she had seen everything in her cards... I feel great performing with the girls. Oh, and A-Rise too!"

"Right, A-Rise used to be your rivals. And now you're colleagues."

"They're good _senpai_. I've learned a lot by working with them, these past weeks."

"And you said Nozomi-san saw your developments in her cards? I didn't know she had a gift like that!"

"She does! It's amazing how everything she sees actually comes to pass!"

"There's actually something I'd like to know. I wonder if she could read my fortune..."

"I bet she would gladly do it." Eli stated.

"Or maybe I could just ask the person in question..."

The waiter came with their food.

"Nee, Ayase- Ah, no. Eli. Are you single right now...?"

Eli's eyes widened.

"I know this is really sudden. We don't even know each other well but... Would you consider going out with me?"

Eli was speechless. She never had anyone declare their feelings for her before.

"Of course, you can take your time answering! And I won't force myself on you or anything! We can go slowly."

"Hm, I'll carefully think about it."

* * *

Meanwhile, the other Muse members were still having fun at the after party.

" _Minna_! Let's make a toast together! Tsubasa-san, Erena-san and Anju-san too!"

"Where's Eli?" Nozomi asked.

Maki and Nico put on their best poker faces.

"I'll go look for her, _nya_ ~!"

Rin started running around the room but came back empty handed.

"Ah, maybe she went home already?" Nico covered up.

"Maybe! I can't see her coat near ours!" Maki helped.

"But would she leave without telling us?" Umi wondered.

"What if something happened and she needs us to help her?!" Hanayo thought.

"I'm going home and see if she's there." Nozomi announced.

"In that case, we'll all go." Kotori offered.

"Eeehhh?! But I wanted to play some more with everyone!" Honoka shouted. "Hm... Then, at least, let me bring some snacks and juice with me!"

After Honoka got what she wanted, all 8 girls went home.

* * *

 _Obs: Waaa, how bold of Duda! Asking Eli out on the first date! What will her answer be, though? Will Maki and Nico be able to cover for Eli or will their tongue slip? And how will Nozomi react?_

 _Read the next chapter to find out!_

 _Hope you enjoyed!_


	8. The REAL Afterparty

"Thank you for accompanying me tonight, Eli." Duda conveyed as he walked Eli home.

"No, thank you for the lovely time." The girl smiled.

"Would it be okay if we did this again?"

The blond nodded and added: "I'll give you an answer then."

The pair said their goodbyes.

When Eli walked inside the house, it was empty. The girls were still at the party.

Eli went to her room, picked up clean underwear and her pajamas and made way for the bath.

When the water was warm enough, she undressed herself and sunk her body inside the water. The steam quickly covered the bathroom.

"Going out with Duda-san, huh...?"

She caught some water in both of her hands and splashed it on her face.

"I don't even know what having feelings for someone is like, let alone dating... He seems like a good man and I really did enjoy tonight, though..."

She let out a big sigh.

"Eli-chi?! Are you in there?" Nozomi's voice echoed through the bathroom.

"Ah, Nozomi!"

The girl barged in.

"Eli-chi, why didn't you say anything when you left? Are you okay?"

"Nozomi, wait! I'm taking a bath!"

"I was worried, you know?!"

Eli didn't say anything.

"The others thought something bad happened to you, too!"

"I'm sorry Nozomi. I was, huh, tired so I came home early. I know I should have told you guys first, sorry..."

" _Huh, why am I lying to her...? For some reason, I can't tell her I was with Duda-san...?_ " Eli thought.

"It's fine, as long as you're alright." Nozomi's expression softened.

"Is she alright?" This time it was Rin's voice.

"Eli, _nya_ ~!" Rin jumped in.

"Rin! Don't just jump into the water with your clothes on! And Nozomi, you shouldn't have barged in without permission either, in the first place!" Umi scolded both girls.

The rest of Muse were outside, glad to know she was okay.

As for Maki and Nico, they were just relieved she had returned before they did. Otherwise, the situation could have gotten out of hand.

"Well, I'm going back to my room to rest. Goodnight everyone." Maki spoke.

Nico followed her.

"Maki-chan." She grabbed her partner's hand. "Can we sleep together, today?"

"Is that all you ever think about? You're a pervert. I'm tired so not today. We did it earlier anyway."

"Eh? I really meant sleep, you know. Aren't you the perv, here?"

Maki's face instantly turned red.

"No, I-! Fine, we can sleep together."

"Hihi, I love this side of you, Maki-chan~!"

"Ah, stop teasing me!"

* * *

With Eli's case solved, everyone went to bed except Umi and Kotori, who were kidnapped by Honoka.

"What do you need, Honoka? It's late. We should rest like everyone else."

"But if we do that, the snacks I brought will go to waste. Let's eat them first!"

"W- Well, it's true that we can't waste food..."

Kotori poured the juice in 3 cups.

"Then... _Kanpai_!"

"Shhh! I agreed to this, but we can't make too much noise!"

"I don't think they can hear us, though. The kitchen's door is closed and the rooms are in the opposite side in the second floor." Kotori assured.

The girls toasted and started drinking the juice and eating the snacks.

"Huh? This juice... I never tasted something like this before." Umi noticed.

"You're right, it has a weird taste but I don't dislike it." Kotori added.

"Weird taste?" Honoka took a sip. "Ehhhhh?! Umi, Kotori! Don't drink more! This is _sake_!"

But it was too late. The two girls had already chugged down all the drinks.

" _Nee_ , isn't it really hot in here? My head is feeling funny, too..." Umi started unbuttoning her shirt.

"I'm also really hot..." Kotori said as she was trying to undo the bow in her shirt.

"No, wait you two!"

"Hmm, I can't take the bow off. Honoka-chan, help me." Kotori's eyes pierced Honoka's.

"Ehh? No! Stop it! Ahhh, what should I do? This is my fault for picking up the wrong drinks!"

Umi suddenly leaned over Kotori and took her bow off.

Both girls' bras were peeking out of their shirts.

"Umi-chan, you smell so good." Kotori moved her face close to Umi's neck and kissed it. "And your skin is so soft~"

Umi's hand landed on Kotori's chest and slided down her body.

"Kotori, your skin is really smooth, too~"

What Honoka was witnessing was so erotic that she didn't know what to do. She just stood there watching.

Umi and Kotori started kissing, their tongues wrestling each other.

"Umi-chan, I feel funny down there..."

"M-me too..."

Then, they both glanced over at Honoka.

"Honoka-chan, it's not fair that we're the only ones feeling this way, you know~?"

Umi walked over to her friend.

"Kotori's right. Should we make you feel funny too~?"

Honoka got up and started dashing towards the door but to no avail. Kotori and Umi caught her.

"Girls, don't-!"

She was interrupted by Umi's lips.

Kotori started undressing her friend and kissing her body.

The girl's legs gave in. All she could do was let out some moans.

" _Nee_ Honoka, do you feel funny down there?" Umi asked while her hand rubbed the outside of her friend's panties.

"Umi-chan, don't- _Waa_ ~"

Suddenly, Kotori got up and picked something from inside the bag Honoka had brought with her. It was a can of whipped cream. She spread the cream over Honoka's breasts and started licking them and nibbling on her nipples.

Umi's hand played with their leader's fanny.

"Umi-chan, I want some of that too~" Kotori told the girl.

Umi placed her left hand on Kotori's genitals.

Honoka couldn't take it anymore and kissed Umi. After that, her own hand rubbed Umi's clitoris.

"Ah, Honoka!"

Next, Honoka's lips touched Kotori's.

Umi took Honoka's panties and bended over.

"Honoka's smell is making me go crazy." Umi's tongue danced on Honoka's genitals.

Not long after that, all three girls came. After releasing all that tension, they rested in each others arms.

* * *

On the second floor, inside Rin's bedroom...

"K-Kayo-chin! Do you want to...?"

Hanayo was sitting on the bed, her hands between her legs, squishing her boobs and biting her lips.

"Y-Yes..."

* * *

 _Obs: DID I EVEN WRITE THAT? OMG! WAAAA, THAT WAS REALLY EROTIC! Don't mess with Umi and Kotori when they're drunk! xD_

 _And two chapters in a row, in a day?! Hell yes! I had nothing to do today and I had soooooo many ideas, that I just had to! :3_

 _For the last chapter, as well as this one, I focused on other ships besides NicoxMaki. I'll focus on RinxPana for the next one. But you'll still see some cute interactions between the main pairing._

 _Concerning Nozomi x Eli x Duda: Things are getting serious. Eli is truly considering the guy and she even lied to Nozomi!_

 _What will happen next?_

 _Find out on the next chapter!_

 _Hope you enjoyed! :3_


	9. Shopping gone wrong

"Rin, please..." Hanayo asked shyly.

She turned her back towards Rin and took her shirt off.

The cat-like girl approached her friend and carefully placed her hands on her back.

Rin slowly moved her hands up and down, applying some pressure here and there.

"Ahh, feels good.~"

"You sure, Kayo-chin? I'm not very good with massages. Maybe you should ask Nozomi instead!"

"I can't do that! You saw how exhausted she was after this little incident with Eli."

"Ah, you're right... I'm just glad she was okay, after all." Rin agreed. "Where do you keep the pads? I'll apply some on your back."

"I don't have more... But I think Maki-chan does."

With this, Rin went to the nearby room to ask for some.

Maki opened the door with a sleepy face, just to get showered with apologies. Rin thought she had woken her up.

"It's fine, I wasn't really sleeping. Nico took complete control over my bed and she keeps kicking me in her sleep." She let out a small sigh.

"As expected of Nico-chan!" The cat girl grinned. "Maki, Kayo-chin's back is really sore. Do you have any pads for her muscles?"

The red-head went back into the room and opened the middle drawer of her wardrobe.

As she was closing it, Nico startled both girls with her sleep-talk.

"I'm the number one idol! Nico Nico N-" She mumbled and started snoring.

"You have a lot on your hands." Rin joked when Maki approached her.

"You can't even imagine how much trouble she actually is." The girl said with a cute smile. "Make sure Hanayo gets a lot of rest. And you too, don't overexert yourself."

With the pads in her left hand, Rin bid goodnight to her friend and made her way to Hanayo's room.

* * *

It was 9 o'clock when Muse's doorbell rang.

Behind the door stood Yukiho, Alisa, Cocoro, Cocoa and Cotaro. They decided to visit their siblings since they had the day off.

"Yukiho, _minna_! You've come right on time for breakfast!" Honoka quickly ran to hug her sister.

"We already ate, _onee-chan_."

"Ah, no matter! I'm so happy you came to see me! Did you watch the show yesterday? What did you think?"

"The show was amazing! But I didn't really come to see you, today."

Honoka froze when she heard those words.

"We came here to ask Maki-san a favor, actually." Alisa reported. "Is she around?"

"Maki is in her room sorting out some music sheets." Nico answered while she was all over her siblings.

"Waa, don't you have the day off today? Why is she still working?"

"Well, she's that diligent when it comes to music and her piano." Nozomi affirmed.

"But but but! What do you need from her? You can ask me!"

"Maki-san is more stylish than you."

"Cotaro! Don't say that!" Nico gave her brother a slight chop on the head. "I'm sorry Honoka, he doesn't know how to hold his tongue. I wonder how you grew up to be like this..."

"It's because of you, _nee-chan_." He responded bluntly.

Everyone broke out in laughter.

"Yukiho, Alisa, I'll go call Maki for you." As energetic as ever, Rin swiftly ran up the stairs.

"So, what's this ' _stylish_ ' thing all about?" Eli finally quizzed both girls.

"Well, you know how Love Live! has some new rules now? All the participant groups have to make a small video where they tell a little bit about themselves and what they'll bring to the Idol Community. Only the most appealing ones pass to phase two."

"We want to look our best in the most stylish and cute clothes possible." Alisa completed Yukiho's explanation.

"Ah~ That's right. You girls have your own School Idol group now. We're so proud of you!" Kotori offered a sweet smile.

Both girls blushed.

"We have a lot to improve, still. There are so many amazing idols out there! And a fair amount of videos have already been uploaded, so we have to move fast." Honoka's sister told them.

While Maki was finishing up her things to meet them in the living room, Alisa took her phone out of her pocket and everyone viewed a couple of those videos together.

 ** _"- Hum, I wanna eat some oranges after this!_**

 ** _\- Chika-san, we're recording already!_**

 ** _\- Eeeeeh?! Ahem! I'm Takami Chika from Aqours and-"_**

"I'm here." Maki finally showed up.

Alisa paused the video and slipped her phone back into her pocket. Then, she proceeded to explain what they wanted.

Maki cheerfully agreed to their request.

"Hum... Can I go along?" Rin asked them.

The red-headed girl was surprised but instantly gave the _ok_.

"Kayo-chin, rest up a lot today. See you later!"

Hanayo didn't know how to react but kissed her friend on the cheek before she left.

"We all need a _LOT_ of resting today." Kotori laughed a bit as she remembered hazily what had happened the night before.

* * *

"How much do you intend to spend, today?" Maki asked the girls so she could decide on good stores to visit.

"About this much, maybe?"

"That's quite a lot of money! You sure it's okay to spend it all?" Rin noticed.

"It's from the club's budget so it's okay." Alisa revealed.

"Club budget? _Nyaaa_! We didn't have that back in our time."

"Well, things are different now. Ever since you won Love Live! and left Otonokizaka, the Idol Club got so much attention that the director decided we should have a budget like the other clubs in the school." Yukiho told them.

"That will certainly make things easier for you girls." Maki asserted. "I was thinking... Since your group's name is Fortune Stars, maybe some dresses with bright colors would fit. What do you think?"

Both juniors agreed happily.

"What if you complemented the outfits with star-shaped jewelry?" Rin suggested.

"Nice thinking, Rin-san!"

* * *

Not long after, they entered a store and started looking for dresses.

Maki picked a light-blue dress adorned with white lace in the borders for Alisa.

The girl tried it on immediately.

"What about the other members?" Maki suddenly realized.

"They're with their families today. I'll take pictures of a few dresses so they can say if they like them or not. Then, we'll come all together to pick them up." Yukiho said.

While the three girls were having fun picking up dresses and trying them on, Rin stood still in front of one particular outfit.

Maki noticed and decided to say something to her.

"You can try it on, you know."

The cat girl jumped in surprise.

"I was wondering why you wanted to tag along but now I know why."

"Ah, it's not like that. I just wanted to go for a walk with you girls."

"I know I'm not honest with my feelings, sometimes. But you're no different, Rin. We all know you actually love cute clothes. Just go ahead and see how it looks on you."

"But something like this won't look good on me, I know it..."

"Go try it, now! Or I'll get mad!"

"Eeeh?! But Maki-chan!"

Yukiho and Alisa were out of the dressing rooms and heard their conversation. Both girls joined forces with Maki, resulting in Rin giving in to their demands.

A few minutes passed. Rin cleared her throat and said she was ready with a shaky voice.

The curtains opened, revealing an astoundingly beautiful girl with red cheeks.

"So...? It does look weird on me, right...?"

"Are you blind?! Look at your reflection in the mirror!" Maki stood up and walked up next to Rin.

Rin was wearing a black turtleneck top decorated with colorful stripes in the middle and colorful jewels in the collar. In the left bottom corner laid an adorable ribbon. The pants were baggy and light giving the illusion of a long skirt, white with black flower prints.

"It's perfect for you, Rin-san!" Alisa complimented and Yukiho nodded in agreement.

" _Arigatou, minna_!" The girl was so happy tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

"Be sure to show it to Hanayo when we get home." Maki teased her a bit.

Before leaving the store, Maki picked up a red dress which she thought Nico would like.

* * *

On their way home, they walked by a man who got out of a mighty business building.

The man stopped in front of them completely astonished. He raised his right hand and was about to open his mouth to say something when Maki suddenly ran away.

"Ehh? Maki-san?" Yukiho voiced.

The man's dumbfounded face transformed into one of sadness.

The girls politely bowed to him and ran after her.

"Who was that man?" Alisa asked.

"That was... Maki's father." Rin answered with a bitter voice.

* * *

Maki ran as fast as she could. She didn't even see where she was going. Her chest ached. She had to run. Running was all she knew how to do when it came to her father.

Her dash came to a pause, eventually. When she stopped, she noticed she was in front of the S:RE building.

She made her way to the music room Muse usually frequented, with tears falling down, passing by Nico and her siblings and Nozomi. But the girl was so oblivious, she didn't even notice them.

"Was that...?! Was that Maki?!" Nico shouted.

"Go after her, Nico-chi. I'll take your sisters and brother back to the house." Nozomi assured.

* * *

Maki was sitting in front of the piano. She touched one key and it sounded as bitter as her heart.

Nico hugged the girl from behind, in silence.

As soon as she felt Nico's warmth and fragrance, she burst into tears again.

"I saw papa. He was trying to say something but I just ran away. Again."

"I thought you had talked to your father about Muse?"

"And I did. But he didn't understand so I moved out without his approval. I didn't even bid him farewell..."

"So that's why you showed up on foot on the day of the move..."

"I feel terrible. I want to talk to him, but I always run. When I saw his face, I felt a slight pain in my chest. All I thought was of getting away from there... Nico, what should I do...?"

Nico embraced Maki as hard as she could as she listened to what was burdening her. Not long after, she fell asleep in her arms.

Nico whispered "Everything will be fine." and kissed the girl's forehead, gently.

* * *

 _Obs: Wow, this turned out to be longer than I expected._

 _I know I said I would focus on RinxPana this chapter, but I had this idea on my mind and I really wanted to write it down before I forgot about it. But I promise I'll write about those two cutiepies, eventually._

 _Now, what to say about this particular chapter... I'm in love with the Aqours girls so I really wanted to write a cameo! And, I have this huge desire for Alisa and Yukiho to become their rivals in the series (probably won't happen, though) so, yeah. xD The name of their Idol group is a bit lame maybe but ups! :p_

 _And I really love Rin and Maki's friendship so I wanted to write them doing something together. Rin is super adorable and she deserves pretty and girly clothes! ^w^_

 _And the drama starts now! Turns out Maki still doesn't know how to handle her father. She's very fortunate to have Nico with her._

 _Let's see how things play out on the next chapter._

 _Thank you all for reading this far. I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am! :D_


	10. Falling Apart

College classes started early in the morning.

All the girls attended school, some with seriousness and others half-asleep.

Even though Muse were quite well known around those parts, their classmates respected them and tried not to bother them too much with autographs and photos. Although there was one who actually encouraged them to do so.

Nico always made sure to attract a huge crowd around her whenever she set foot on school grounds.

Maki didn't enjoy it that much, but she knew it made the girl happy so she let it roll.

Besides, she had too much on her mind to pay attention to that sort of things and get jealous.

Ever since she saw her father, a storm of thoughts floated around her head.

Was she really right about the route she chose? Was it okay to let her father down like that when he wanted her to inherit the hospital? Was music her true passion?

And she didn't even tell her parents about her relationship with Nico.

Despite her family's riches, they were quite the traditional family. Her father was even planning on arranging her with a fiancé.

* * *

The third years didn't have any classes in the afternoon.

Nozomi was looking forward to go home with Eli and Nico but Eli rushed out of the classroom as soon as classes ended.

Eli was acting strange for quite some time and, whenever Nozomi asked her if there was anything wrong she'd make up some cheap excuses and run.

The medium girl consulted her cards. However, they didn't tell her anything useful.

So, on this day, she decided to tail her friend.

A couple of blocks away from the school grounds, Eli met up with Duda.

Nozomi was quite puzzled. Were they meeting for work related purposes? If so, why only with her? And why outside of the company's building?

She continued to go after them, watching them carefully.

People on the street would give her some funny stares here and there.

"Why did I have to disguise myself with Nico's sunglasses and mask..." She thought to herself.

Eli and Duda had a nice mood going on.

They were speaking to one another with friendly tones and laughing and smiling.

Sometimes, they'd stop in front of stores to look at the merchandise through the windows but not once did they go inside.

Around 13pm, they arrived at a nice family restaurant.

Nozomi sat at a table in the back with full view of where her friend and manager were.

A waitress walked up to their table and they ordered the same meal: _Omu-Raisu_ accompanied with a soda.

After that, the same waitress approached Nozomi.

" _Irashai_! What will your order be?"

"A glass of water is fine, thank you."

When those words left her mouth, she realized how pathetic she was acting. It reminded her of the past when Nico would tail Muse, short after they had started the Idol Club.

She continued to watch them, despite that.

After Eli and the manager finished their meals, Eli stood up with her wallet in her hands, ready to pay her share. However, Duda stopped her by placing his hand on top of hers.

"I'll pay for both of us, don't worry." He spoke tenderly.

Nozomi felt anger building up from within her body.

"They look just like a couple, like this!" She thought.

As they were leaving the restaurant, Duda moved closer to the girl and shyly grabbed Eli's hand.

Eli leaned to the left, resting her head on the man's shoulder.

The mood was getting more and more like that of a couple's.

Then, Duda glanced intensely at the half-russian beauty and moved in to touch her lips.

That was the last drop.

"Eli-chi!" Nozomi shouted impulsively, interrupting them.

The couple jumped at the scream and turned around to face a very angry Nozomi with her right hand clenched into a fist.

Upon seeing her best friend's face, Eli's chest ached. She tried explaining the situation but the words weren't coming out the way she wanted.

"Toujou-san! Please, understand! I truly love Eli! I beg of you, please don't tell the president about us. I know it's against the company's policy, but I can't stay away from her!" Duda implored.

Nozomi remained in silence for a few seconds, a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I... I won't tell anyone, rest assured." She answered bitterly before turning around and disappearing.

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the girls were packing their books and notebooks to go home.

But they didn't go all together.

They were scattered all over the place.

Maki alone in a corner with her thoughts, Rin and Hanayo super lovey-dovey as usual and the second years in total silence and really fidgety. They were acting quite awkward towards each other ever since the day after the show.

Hanayo whispered in Rin's ear:

"What is going on? Everyone is acting a little bit odd?"

"Well, I can understand Maki. She has a lot on her plate concerning her parents."

"Yeah, I don't know all the details but her father is against her decision to continue with us, right?"

"Right... As for Honoka and the others, I don't have a clue." Rin made a funny face.

"And then there is Eli who's always disappearing and is barely at home. Nozomi is quite worried."

They remained in silence for a couple of minutes. Then, Rin had an idea.

"I know what we should do! The next time we have a day off, we should all go to that new amusement park! We could even invite the children and A-Rise."

Hanayo's eyes shone brightly at the idea.

* * *

Back in the house, Hanayo and Rin were in the kitchen preparing dinner together.

The cat-like girl was wearing a side ponytail and a cute yellow-ish apron with cat paws prints. Hanayo had a white one with onigiri prints.

"So, what should we make?" The rice goddess asked.

Her friend enthusiastically suggested curry.

They started out with washing and peeling the veggies.

"It's so much fun cooking with you, Kayo-chin!"

The girl smiled.

Not long after, Nozomi returned. Her eyes were devoid of her soul.

The second years, who were awkwardly in silence in the living room waiting for dinner, called out to her to break the ice.

The girl didn't even look at them and went straight upstairs, though.

Fifteen minutes later, Eli came in in a rush with a really pale face.

She immediately asked for Nozomi and Umi answered her.

"Did something happen with them?" Honoka wondered out loud and made eye contact with Kotori. Both turned they're heads sideways in embarrassment.

* * *

Dinner was ready.

It smelled so good, Nico came dancing down the stairs.

"Curry always brings a Nico Nii to everyone's faces!~" She sang.

Her optimism was completely shoved aside by the tense atmosphere in the house.

"Geh?! What's with the long faces?"

"Rii-right? Let's eat _minna_ , it's curry! I promise I did good this time, with Kayo-chin's help!"

Maki came down not long after. But when she did, things got even heavier.

She had two suitcases beside her and made her way to the hall without a word.

" _Shotto_! Maki? Where are you going with those suitcases?!" Nico's smiley face turned dark.

A car's motor could be heard from outside.

The red-head opened the door.

 _'I'm sorry'_ was the only thing she voiced before getting inside her father's car.

* * *

 _Obs: Things have taken a turn for the worst! Everyone is awkward/mad with each other and the group is completely falling apart. Nozomi is badly hurt, HonkUmiKoto don't know how to behave together after that drunken party and Maki decided to leave without a single explanation. In the midst of so much angst, RinPana are still purely sweet, though._

 _How are they going to mend their broken ties? Is Muse going to be okay?_

 _Tune in for the next chapter to find out!_

 _Hope you're enjoying this story! ^w^_


	11. Confrontation

That night, no one ate the dinner which was prepared with so much love by Rin and Hanayo.

Each Muse member shut themselves in their own rooms.

Still trying to grasp what had happened, Nico punched her bed numerous times.

When she saw Maki enter that car, her whole world came crashing down. She ran after the car for a good two blocks, even when the car had already disappeared from her sight.

She stayed there looking into oblivion for twenty minutes, until Rin came to get her.

"We'll talk to her tomorrow at school. Let's go back home and rest, Nico-chan. It's already late." Rin tried comforting her friend.

* * *

Eli, knocked on Nozomi's door again and again but to no avail. The girl didn't deliver one single word.

Nozomi was lying in her bed, staring blankly to the ceiling.

It hurt a ton, the pain was unbearable. However, her love for Eli was bigger. She wanted her to be happy with whoever she chose. And it's not like she had the right to think or say otherwise when she hadn't confessed her true feelings. On this note, she decided to strip herself of all her feelings for the sake of their friendship.

With that, the sour night came to an end to give place to a fresh new day.

* * *

Honoka and the other two second years were acting slightly more cheerful, not because they resolved their issues but because they felt partly guilty for the intense mood which took over their house.

"Let's do our best today, girls!" Their leader shouted pumping her fist.

Rin followed her lead and jumped.

"Honoka, Rin, we appreciate the good vibes and all, but keep it down a notch, will you?" Nico interjected.

"Hum... But Nico-chan, we still need your _'Nico Nico Nii'_ of the day.~" Kotori tried cheering her up.

The twin-tailed girl glared at her with half-open eyes and muttered her catchphrase unwillingly.

Then, Hanayo backed them up by handing over her Special Deluxe _Onigiri_.

"I made these with surprise ingredients to help you focus during classes!"

Umi gently picked her share and thanked the girl.

"Also, if you guess the right ingredients, I'll give you a present!" Hanayo completed.

"Then you better ready the present, Hanayo-chan. I'm pretty confident in my taste-buds!"

For a good 5 seconds, everyone had a dumbfounded expression.

Nozomi had finally spoken!

Eli let the girl's name escape her lips.

The medium girl glanced her way and offered her a smile.

The next moment, she had the half-russian all over her almost in tears.

"There, there Eli-chi. I'm okay."

The rest of the girls let out a sigh of relief.

With that out of the way (or not?), the next thing on the list was taking care of Maki.

* * *

Nico left for college earlier than the others in order to find or wait, if needed, for her partner.

She waited all morning, skipped her classes even. There was no sign of the girl in question.

"That's it! If she doesn't come to Nico, Nico will go to her!" Nico shouted.

" _Gambatte_ , Nico-chan!" Rin's voiced was heard. Hanayo stood next to her as usual.

The number one idol grabbed both girl's hands.

"Thank you for offering to come with me!"

"Of course, Nico- Ehhh, what?!" Hanayo was slightly confused.

Before they could object or say anything at all, Nico dragged them along.

" _Dareka, tasuketeeee_...!"

Not long after, the three girls were inside a cab which only stopped in front of a huge house.

They dismounted their ride and stared at the building.

"I've been here a few times but it never loses its imposing aura, does it?" Hanayo observed.

The other two nodded in agreement.

"So, huh... What should I do?"

"Ring the doorbell, of course." Hanayo stated the obvious.

Nico's heart was racing. She was really nervous and afraid.

Even so, she mustered all her courage and touched the key.

The bell echoed.

"Ahh, maybe no one is at home. I guess we should go back."

"Don't you dare give up now that we've come this far!"

Nico was a complete mess. She really tried to run away though the rice goddess stopped her with all her might.

"Do it now, Rin-chan!"

The cat girl swiftly approached the bell and rang it for what seemed like an eternity.

Five minutes later, the door opened. The figure of a woman emerged from behind it.

Red hair, simple yet fashionable clothes, sweet voice. It was Maki's mother.

" _Ara_ ~ If it isn't my daughter's friends! I'm sorry for the delay, the maid is off duty today and I'm alone at home. But please, come in! Come in!"

The mother showed them to the living room where they waited for tea to be served.

"I take it you came to take Maki back with you." She cut to the chase.

"Yes, we did! She can't just leave like that!"

"Nico-chan, calm down!" Hanayo placed her right hand on the girl's shoulder. "We wanted to hear directly from her why she left. It was so sudden we didn't have any time to process the situation clearly."

"She's with her father at the hospital. I'm sure you girls are aware of the circumstances."

The mother brought the white porcelain cup of tea to her lips and took a sip.

"She was never one to be honest with her feelings. Ever since she was a child, everything she did was to please her father. She did enjoy seeing the man smile whenever she did good, but never truly loved the actual activities. The piano was the same. However, as time went by and she grew up, playing the piano gave her pleasure. When she realized it and told my husband she wanted a music career, he shot her down saying she needed to study medicine and inherit the hospital. Maki didn't take it well. Back then, she ran away for a whole day, even." She chuckled. "When we found her, the first thing she said was she'd only study to become a doctor if we still let her play the piano, occasionally. Everything went back to normal until she enrolled at Otonokizaka and met you and the other Muse girls."

" _Nyaa_! So it's our fault her relationship with her father broke again?"

Maki's mother assured them it wasn't the case. The girl truly wanted to get along with her father but her stubbornness always got in the way. If anything, she was thankful they were her daughter's friends and explained that, ever since they started performing together, the girl smiled a lot more.

The conversation went on until late.

Nico, Rin and Hanayo opt to give up for the day as the mother told them Maki would probably come back home after midnight.

As if it was fate, when the girls approached the hall, Maki arrived. Her father in tow.

They bowed and gave the father a 'Goodnight', except Nico.

"What are you doing here?" The question was voiced quite dryly.

"We came for you, _baka_!"

"Don't call me _baka_ , _baka_!"

Maki's father interrupted the petty dispute right away.

"I thank you for your visit, girls. But my daughter has decided to stop playing Idols. She has more important things to do. Now, if you'll excuse us, we've had a busy day and need to rest. Goodnight."

With that, he gave them a slight push on the back towards the door, indicating they weren't welcomed anymore.

Nico complied for the moment but not before speaking her heart.

"Playing Idols? I'll let you sir know, we're very serious about this! And so is Maki, I know it! You may try to cage your daughter as much as you want but I will never give up on her!"

The man was clearly getting upset.

"You heard that, Maki? I will never give up on you! My stubbornness is far greater than yours. And know my love for you will never fade!"

Nico shut the door herself, with tremendous strength.

"What did she mean by _'love will never fade'_?" The father glared at the girl.

"How would I know what goes inside that _baka_ 's mind." Maki turned her back to her father and drew a shy smile which was seen by her mother.

Finally alone in her bedroom, the red-head stared out her window. She placed her hand on her chest.

"I love you too, _baka_..."

* * *

 _Obs: Damn, Maki's father is a tough man. The girls won't be able to visit again anytime soon._

 _Nico is determined to bring her lover back, however. But how in the world is she gonna do that?_

 _And for now, the other Muse girls seem to be doing better._

 _Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!_

 _See ya in the next one~! ^w^_


	12. Decisions, Advices and Feelings

It's been a week since Maki left Muse.

The 8 remaining girls were gathered in their living room with Duda-san who called for an urgent meeting.

The topic of the conversation was easy to guess. They had to discuss what was going to happen now that their contract was breached.

In the center of the room sat a round glass table with a teapot on top. Some chocolate cookies rested in a tin next to it.

Duda-san grabbed one and after biting through it, decided to break the silence and initiate said meeting.

"Girls, I'm sure you're aware of your current situation." The cookie suffered another bite. "Nishikino-san decided to leave before her contract expired. She'll have to compensate the company in some way which is, usually, a monetary fine. She'll probably be fine as her family is pretty wealthy and I bet her father will gladly pay whatever is needed. The problem is what will happen to the rest of you."

"But we haven't done anything against the contract's clauses." Kotori mentions.

"Depends on what you girls want to do. There's a high chance Nishikino-san will never return. From what I've been learning by watching over you, your relationships are rather important. Muse is a group composed by 9 members. If even one of you is missing, things won't be the same. But, ultimately, it's up to you if you want to go on with your activities or stop. However, if you do decide to disband, you'll have to pay the same fine Nishikino-san will pay."

"How much money are we talking about, here?" Umi questioned.

"Not to be rude, but it's probably much more than any of you can afford to pay..."

Honoka uttered something at that point. Then, she repeated it in a higher tone of voice.

"Not this again..." The girl's face was pale. "Don't make us decide something like this all over again..."

"Honoka-chan..." Kotori's eyes were beginning to shed tears. The same was happening to the rest of the members.

"Duda-san." Nico called for the man's attention. "Can you give us some time? I'm gonna bring Maki back no matter what it takes, but I need time."

The only thing Duda could see in Nico's eyes was an unshakable resolve. That actually made him happy and gave him a sense of relief.

"Understood. I'll do my best to postpone this matter as far as I can, though it's gonna be hard. President Hiroyuki wants this resolved as sooner as possible. But you have my full support."

When the meeting ended, Eli went outside with their manager and both disappeared.

Most of the girls went their own ways for the day as they had tons of school work to take care of.

Nico also had a shift at her part-time job. Nevertheless, she asked Nozomi to accompany her to a café before it started.

They went to the bakery opposite of the convenience store where the twin-tailed girl worked.

After the waiter left on their table their orders, Nico went straight for the kill.

"So, what's on your mind, Nozomi?"

The other girl didn't know what she was referring to.

"Don't play dumb with me. You've been faking all your smiles for a while. And don't tell me the reason is Maki's absence 'cause I know it's not. There's something else."

"I guess I can't fool you, can I...?"

"Well, you can't fool anyone, really. But everyone's afraid to ask, specially Eli. You always watch over us with a lot of love, so let me return the favor this once. I'll listen to your troubles."

"Nico-chi... Your sisters and brother are truly fortunate to have you, you know?" She chuckled. "What I'm about to tell cannot reach Hiroyuki-san's ears or any of the company's employees'."

Nico adopted a more serious expression and promised her mouth would be a coffin.

"You've noticed how Eli has been sneaking out often, right?"

After Nico nodded, Nozomi resumed.

"She's been going out with Duda-san."

Nico's expression didn't change, indicating she didn't get what she meant.

"Going out as in... Dating."

Upon clarifying her words, the number one idol was so surprised she literally spat the beverage she was previously enjoying.

"I tailed them a few days ago and found out about it. My emotions got over me and I let them know of my presence at the time."

"Beginners mistakes..." She joked a bit.

Nozomi chuckled again.

"And? Have you told her how you felt about it?" Nico returned to her serious tone of voice.

"Of course not! How could I...? I want her to be happy and, if she's pleased with their relationship, I don't have the right to destroy it."

Nico slapped the table with both hands as she abruptly stood up.

"Aren't you stupid?! Are you really okay with hiding your feelings from her?!"

Nozomi directed her eyes towards the floor.

"I'm okay with it."

"The hell you are! Look into my eyes and say that again!"

The girl couldn't.

Nico calmed down and sat down again.

"Look, if she really is in love with Duda, your confession won't destroy what they have going on. What's really unacceptable here is lying to her like this. You're best friends, she'll understand and acknowledge your feelings. If you don't tell her you love her, you'll be left with regret for your entire life. And who knows? There's a probability that, once she hears how you feel, she'll waver and break up with him."

"No, that's too cruel. I don't want to damage their relationship..."

"If she does falter, it's because their relationship was damaged from the very beginning. Think about it."

Both finished the rest of their cakes in silence until it was time for Nico's shift.

* * *

Nozomi arrived home at 16.30 pm.

The first thing she did was take a long hot bath.

Since the house would be empty until nighttime and the weather was quite warm, Nozomi wondered around the house only in her panties.

She sat down on the couch with her legs crossed and a bag of potato chips in her hands. The TV was turned on on a variety show.

The men in the show were acting some kind of funny skit.

By a twist of fate, someone arrived sooner than expected.

The half-russian waddled inside to catch her friend almost naked.

They've been friends for a long time but they rarely saw each other naked, even in the locker rooms after P.E. classes or, nowadays, after their rehearsals.

Nozomi yelled a high pitched ' _EEEK_ ' and tried covering her chest with the potato bag and hands.

Eli's face quickly turned red. Even so, she approached her friend and covered her with the coat she was previously wearing.

" _Mou_ , Nozomi. I know we're all girls in this house, but it's still kinda embarrassing suddenly running into someone naked."

"...I thought no one would return any time soon because of their studies. And you were out with your..." Nozomi tried to voice the word ' _boyfriend_ ' but she couldn't. "...With Duda-san."

Silence froze the room. Actually, that's all that has been happening in their household, lately.

Eli's eyes, out of the blue, moved towards Nozomi's chest. She tried looking away, but they fell down on the big clump once again.

"You know... I've seen your boobs a couple of times, but they never cease to impress me."

The medium girl felt her face heating up.

"They look really fluffy and..." Eli stopped midway her sentence, realizing how shameful she was sounding. "I'm sorry Nozomi! I don't mean anything weird!"

"What are you saying... Yours are almost as big as mine."

"They aren't." The blond pouted. "Here, touch them and see for yourself."

Once again, the girl became aware of the nonsense she was spouting and blushed even harder.

As for Nozomi, she didn't know how to react at the situation. Her arm did rise midway through, but she didn't have the courage to actually touch her friend's chest.

"I wanted breasts like yours..." Eli confessed. "Your body is perfect." The girl was closer to Nozomi than she was a few seconds ago.

Nozomi quickly interjected.

"Yours is perfect too, you know."

Without thinking, the medium girl embraced Eli.

When their bodies touched, Eli felt a shiver run down her spine. Her belly felt weird as well. It was what people usually called ' _butterflies_ '.

Nozomi's breasts really were squishy, just as she had imagined. For a moment, she wanted to gently fondle them. However, she knew it would be creepy. Normal girl friends don't do strange things like that. So, she slowly backed away.

"It's getting chillier, you should get dressed now."

Nozomi snapped out of her own trance and agreed.

Soon, Nozomi's back disappeared up the stairs and Eli sensed the tension releasing her body.

* * *

 _Obs: That's it for another chapter!_

 _Nico giving Nozomi advice was adorable. Nico is such an amazing friend. *-*_

 _And that boob talk... xD I remember I used to have weird conversations like this with my best friends. And it really is difficult to look away from big chests, even as a girl._

 _But Eli and Nozomi are different. Eli felt something that moment which she can't really grasp yet. But she'll slowly get there._

 _I still need to get to the bottom of the second years' relationships and RinPana are still waiting for their own chapter. But damn it, NozoEli and NicoMaki are taking over me. xD (Well, NicoMaki are the main pair of this story so, you can expect a lot of text focusing on them.)_

 _And I noticed I'm writing bigger chapters these days. Cool stuff. :3_

 _On the downside, my other two fics have been kinda neglected. Ups... xD_

 _Anyway, I'll see ya guys in the next chapter!_

 _Matta ne~! ^w^_


	13. The 2nd Years

Honoka was indulging Tsubasa's company. The bench where both were sitting was surrounded by nature. There were tons of big _sakura_ trees circling them and a crystal clear lake rested in front. Various animals enjoyed the fresh water, such as the ducklings dancing on the water as if they were ice skating.

Tsubasa handed a sandwich over to her friend who accepted it with a gentle smile.

"It's unusual for you to be the one calling me out." Tsubasa observed.

Honoka was feeling suffocated with all the recent happenings. However, she always felt at peace when in the girl's presence.

Tsubasa is a mature and knowledgeable young woman whom the Muse's leader looks up to.

Honoka talked endlessly about everything that was haunting her mind while her friend listened with utmost care.

History was repeating itself for Muse but with a bigger twist.

The A-Rise leader tried comforting her friend as best as she could, but the situation was rather bad this time around.

* * *

Not far from the park where both leaders were, Umi, Kotori, Hanayo and Rin were running.

Rin, as energetic as ever, was up front leading the group, running as fast as lightning. The other three girls were going at their own pace but never stopping.

Eventually, Rin's stamina wore out and she lied down on the floor panting like crazy.

When they reached where Rin stood, Hanayo handed a bottle of water to the girl.

"Should we take a break in the park?" Kotori suggested.

Umi wanted to keep running but they were pretty exhausted so she rolled with that option.

The group went to the lakeside since the air was fresher over there thanks to the trees' enclosure.

As soon as she saw the water, Rin took her shoes off and sat near the margin with her feet inside the water.

A delighted expression was displayed on her face.

Then, she had an idea. She caught some water between her hands and splashed it on the other three girls.

" _Waaa_ , so cold! But it feels so good~!" Kotori voiced.

As for the usually quiet and composed girl, she scolded Rin at first but, in no time, also joined in on the fun.

She took her now empty bottle of water and filled it with the lake's water. Afterwards, she squeezed the bottle and the water came gushing out hitting and wetting Hanayo.

"That's a great idea, Umi-chan!" Rin proceeded to mimic the little trick.

Hanayo tried getting her revenge but didn't aim well enough towards Umi and the water splashed on two girls who were innocently walking by.

Fate has been pranking them a lot. Who would have guessed those two girls would be Honoka and Tsubasa.

Umi and Kotori's previous merry faces changed drastically.

"Honoka..." Umi whispered. "So you'd rather go out with Tsubasa than go out with us and work things out...?"

"Ehhh?! Umi-chan? Kotori-chan? _Minna_?" Honoka was as pale as they were.

Tsubasa didn't understand what was going on so she remained quiet.

"I already knew you two had something going on but this..." Umi continued.

"Honoka-chan... For how long have you been dating Kira-san?" Kotori asked.

"Da- da- da- dating?!" Their leader turned red.

Kira Tsubasa brought her right hand to her face and deeply sighed.

"Girls, it's really not what you're thinking. Honoka-chan called me for advice, nothing more." She tried softening the situation.

"Advice...?" Umi remained skeptical.

"Since A-Rise has been under S:RE longer than you, she wanted to know if I knew of any way to go around the contracts' clauses." Tsubasa flipped her hair away. "I guess this is my cue to leave."

Rin and Hanayo thought the same.

Soon, only the second years remained.

"So you really don't have anything going on with Kira-san...?" Kotori went straight for the important question.

The questioned girl nodded assuring them they were only friends.

"I feel a little bit relieved. What about us...?" Umi continued with the inquiry.

"You? I don't get what you are trying to ask..."

Kotori gathered all her strength and finally let it all out.

"I love you, Honoka-chan! And so does Umi-chan!"

"Hm? I know, I love you girls too." Honoka told them, not realizing they meant it in a romantic way.

"Not like that, _baka_!" Getting out of her usual character, Umi shouted.

Honoka was so oblivious to romance that she raised a brow.

"The things we did the other night, made me understand how I feel towards both of you. I love you both in a romantic way, I can't choose one over the other." Kotori ceased her confession for a few seconds to replenish her breath. "I want to hold your hands when we walk, I want to embrace you in my arms, I want to... To... Kiss you..." The girl was bright red.

Umi's face heated up, as well.

"I... I feel the same, Honoka, Kotori."

"Eeeehh?! I don't understand what you're saying!" Muse's leader was obviously feeling distressed at this point.

The other two girls slowly approached her more and more until Honoka started to suffocate.

"Don't you want to do those things with either of us?" Kotori glanced at her friend with puppy eyes.

"I just... I don't know! I just want us to be close as we always were..."

"We could be even closer..."

"Umi-chan..." Honoka didn't know what to say. "Can you give me more time to think about this?"

Both girls agreed.

* * *

 _Obs: What have I done... Writing about a three-way relationship is hard. ^^'_

 _But everything will be fine in the end!_

 _There aren't many observations to make this chapter so, see you guys next time! ^w^_


	14. Maki's Resolve

Maki was in her father's office looking through some paperwork. Administrating a hospital was a big deal so she ought to start learning its ways from the get go.

Of course, for that to actually happen, she had to change schools and learn both medicine and business management.

Her father was taking care of that at the moment as well as arranging a meeting with Hiroyuki-san so they could pay their fine for the contract breach.

The girl sighed and stretched her arms in the air.

"I might need a small break."

The pianist went down to the hospital's cafeteria to get some coffee, when a girl called out to her.

"You're Nishikino-san from Muse, aren't you?!"

"Eh? Ah, yes I am but-"

"Can I... Can I get an autograph, please?!"

Unable to tell the girl she was no longer a part of Muse, Maki wrote the autograph.

"Thank you so much! I'm a big fan! You're my inspiration, to be honest. I've always wanted to become an idol but never had the courage for it, until I first heard you live! I dropped what I was previously studying to chase my real dream."

"You just dropped everything like that...?"

The girl nodded with a serious but confident expression on her face.

"My parents wanted me to follow their footsteps and become a pharmacist so I could inherit their pharmacy but I really hated the idea. I didn't know how to refuse them... But your songs taught me it was okay to follow my dreams and be myself so I mustered the courage and told my parents."

"How did they react?"

"Well, they weren't thrilled, of course... But in the end, they realized that, as long as I was happy, they'd be happy for me too."

The girl thanked Maki for the chat and the autograph and went her way.

Hearing the girl's words made something inside Maki's mind click.

* * *

Later that day, when the Nishikino family was reunited at home for dinner, someone invited herself over without permission.

As soon as the father saw who it was, he turned back to the table, ignoring the person.

"Who was it, darling?"

"It was just a salesman. I told him we didn't want anything."

The bell rang for the second time.

"HEY! DON'T YOU DARE IGNORE ME! I'M NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU HEAR ME OUT!"

"Eh?! Nico-chan's voice?!" Maki recognized.

The family head turned his face.

"Father, you said it was a salesman..."

"She's no different from one. Importunating people at such hours with spiteful lies."

The red head got up and tried heading towards the door.

"Maki, if you open that door, you'll be grounded for a month."

The girl glared at her father.

"You know what, I tried doing things your way for too long and embracing your feelings and dreams. This time, it's your turn to hear me out."

Maki opened the door, grabbed Nico's hand and dragged her inside.

"You see this girl? Yes, she's sometimes ill mannered, a true idiot and really annoying-"

" _Shotto_ , Maki?!"

"Shut up for a second, Nico-chan." Maki resumed her speech. "But she's always true to herself and loves what she does. She's a great friend and big sister. And... She's the person whom I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love her and I won't admit father to badmouth her without even knowing her!"

Nico was speechless, her eyes widened.

Before her father could say anything, Maki continued.

"And you know Muse? You said they're just fooling around but they're not. They inspire people to work harder for their dreams. They taught me who the real me was and accepted me for me, not for their ideal of me. I'm happiest when I'm with them, when I'm on the stage singing and dancing with them, when people smile when they see me up there. That's what I want for my life. So, for real this time, father. I'll become an Idol. One that even you won't be able to refuse or not acknowledge!"

With that, Maki stormed out of her house, still dragging Nico by the hand behind her.

They kept walking like that until they reached the train station.

"Maki...!" Nico shouted making the girl finally turn around to face her.

Maki's face was red, just like her now big swollen eyes, tears rolling non-stop down her cheeks. She started sobbing uncontrollably like a 10 year old.

The twin-tailed girl embraced her with all her might.

"I'm proud of you, Maki."

"Father will hate me for good, now... But I feel like I've taken a huge burden from my shoulders."

"Your father will understand your decision one day, you'll see."

The pianist stared intensely into Nico's kind eyes and closed in to touch the girl's lips.

"I must say though, you surprised me for a second there... Saying I was annoying and stuff and then saying you wanted to be with me forever."

Remembering those words made Maki shiver.

" _Ba-baka_! I said that in the heat of the moment!"

"So you don't love me?" Nico teased.

" _Waaa_ , Nico-chan stop it!" Blushing more and more, Maki hid her face behind her hands.

Nico embraced the girl once more.

"Please, take care of me, Maki-chan."

Maki answered with a shy "I will".

* * *

 _Obs: Aaaaaaand Maki has finally found her true resolution!_

 _I even teared up a little myself while writing this chapter. I feel Maki on a spiritual level, since I went through a similar experience not long ago._

 _Her father didn't even have a chance to oppose, lmao._

 _Anyway, thanks for reading!_

 _See yall next chapter~! ^w^_


	15. What is Love?

It was 2 in the morning when Nico arrived home with Maki.

The noise of the door opening was enough to wake up both Honoka and Nozomi. The two ran downstairs, startled.

When they saw the couple, they couldn't help but rejoice and make an uproar.

" _Uso_! Maki-chan, you're back!" Honoka shouted from the top of her lungs, regardless of how late it was. The emotion of having her friend back was too overwhelming.

"Maki-chan, _okaeri_." Nozomi greeted with her usual motherly gentle smile.

The others inevitably woke up and also made their way to the entry.

Just like their leader and the fortuneteller, everyone was overcome with joy to have their pianist back home.

The 9 girls were reunited in a group hug.

After the excitement toned down, Kotori served some tea and the girls sat down on their living room.

Maki cleaned her throat and begun to talk.

"First of all... I'm extremely sorry for all the trouble I've caused you for these past days. I've been very selfish, I admit. But I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me, never giving up on me and accepting me back as I made yet another selfish choice."

" _Matte_ , _matte_!" Rin interupted.

"What's wrong, Rin-chan?" Hanayo asked.

"Someone pinch my cheek!"

Hanayo catered her friend's request.

" _Waaaa_! I thought it was a dream since Maki-chan was being way too honest but she's really back with us!" Tears peeked from the corners of Rin's eyes.

" _Ba-baka_!" Maki's face became slightly red.

"A-anyway, I stormed out my house with empty hands. I don't have a change of clothes..."

"I can lend you my pajamas." Umi offered.

Without further ado, Muse decided to go back to sleep. Maki and Nico were exhausted so they, specially, needed the rest.

However, not everyone went back to their rooms right away.

Honoka and Eli stayed behind to clean up the tea set.

" _Nee_ Eli, what is love?" Honoka asked out of nowhere.

"Eeh? Love, you ask?"

"Hm, and I don't mean the kind of love you feel for friends and family. I mean in a romantic way. What it is?"

"Even if you ask me... I'm not too sure." Eli immersed herself in her thoughts for a while. "I guess it's when you see someone and your heart starts beating really fast. You can't stop thinking about that person and when you do something that might hurt her, your chest aches. You want to hold hands, hold that person in your arms, your body temperature rises when you do it and-" Eli's voice abruptly came to a halt. It finally dawned on her. Weren't those things exactly what happened whenever she thought of Nozomi, when she was close to her friend?

"Eh? Eli? Are you okay?"

The half Russian snapped out of her thoughts and looked back at Honoka.

"Thank you Honoka!"

"Thank...? Why? I didn't do anything...?"

Eli kissed her friend's forehead and went back to her room.

" _Eeeeeh_? What just happened? I don't understand anything anymore."

* * *

The sun shyly popped up, its rays seeping through the blinds of Nico's room.

The girl slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Maki's adorable sleeping face.

What a great way to start the new day.

She closed in on her lover and wrapped her arms around her.

"Nhnh..."

"Morning nico~! It's time to wakey-wakey~!"

"Don't be so loud, Nico... Let me sleep some more." Maki buried her face on Nico's chest.

"Oh, this is such a rare sight! Nishikino Maki not wanting to get up early!"

"Do you really need to call my full name...? _Aaaah_ , now I'm wide awake." Maki instantly got up.

"Nooo, don't go!" The black haired girl grabbed her partner's waist.

"Eh? But you were the one who told me to wake up."

"Gimme a good morning kiss and I'll let you go~."

"Fi-fine!"

Maki brought her lips to Nico's.

Both smiled afterwards.

* * *

A few rooms down, Eli knocked on Nozomi's door.

Nozomi opened the door still half asleep. Her lavender-colored shirt slightly falling to one side, exposing her left shoulder.

"Good morning Nozomi! I brought you breakfast!" Eli was speaking quite formally.

Nozomi quickly became suspicious.

"What's wrong Elicchi?"

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. Why would anything be wrong?"

"You speak formally when you're nervous..."

That's right. No one else knew Eli as well as Nozomi did. The two girls have been together for such a long time, after all. Now that she had finally realize her feelings, she has to confess. But how? What if Nozomi doesn't correspond to her feelings? Would that break their current relationship? Such questions ran through Eli's mind on loop.

"Ah, it's just that I made a new recipe and I'm unsure if it turned out good enough." She gave a cheap excuse.

The fortuneteller didn't really buy her explanation but decided to let it go.

Both girls sat down on the bed, Nozomi took the first bite.

The blond girl attentively stare at her friend's lips.

"Ah, her lips look so juicy and soft." She shamelessly thought, her heart beating faster and faster.

"Elicchi, do you, perhaps, want some too? You keep staring at me."

"Eh? Ah, huh... Yeah!"

Without thinking, instead of taking a portion from the plate, Eli's mouth took the slice that was hanging from outside of Nozomi's mouth, hence touching her lips.

" _EEP_!" The bold move startled Nozomi.

" _Go-gomen_ Nozomi!" Eli apologized as she realized what she had done.

Both girls' faces heated up.

With that, Eli raced out of the room.

"Elicchi, wait!" Nozomi Tojo pleaded but there already was no trace of the girl inside her room. "If you do such things, how can take you out of my heart and mind...? _Zurui yo_..."

* * *

 _Obs: Waaaaaa! Things are getting back on track, one step at a time!_

 _Maki and Nico's issues are almost resolved, Eli finally understood how she feels about Nozomi and Honoka is desperately trying to find her answer for Umi and Kotori._

 _Eli and Nozomi are still oblivious of each others feelings though. How will their relationship progress from now on?_

 _But man, this chapter was a lot of fun. Specially the last part, mufufu. Eli is such a seme. :3_

 _Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!_

 _See yall next time~! ^w^_


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